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Zetetick’s mission | Real control in supported living choices
This year marks Zetetick’s 15th birthday. Zetetick Housing Ltd was incorporated on 5th February 2007, so it’s a good time to look at why our charity was set up and what our mission was and continues to be.
Most of us take for granted that we can, within our budgets, make choices about where we live. Zetetick Housing was set up by our current CEO, Gary Scott, to increase the number of housing options open to people with a learning disability, and to ensure that they did not have to be held within semi-secure hospitals because of lack of housing provision in the community. Instead they could be supported to live independent lives with their own tenancies.
His experience convinced him and others that the lives of those with learning disabilities could be significantly improved by having their own home.
Choice and control
Zetetick’s mission was and remains to ensure that each person we support has real choice and control over their housing, to achieve their goals to live a fulfilling independent life, stay in contact with their family and their local community.Β
Like everyone else, our tenants are all individuals, with different support needs, personal preferences, interests and hobbies – whether it’s tap dancing, DJing, or playing music.
Some people might need or prefer to live on their own, some people prefer to share with others. A garden or outside space might be important to some but not to others. That is why Zetetick sources a wide range of properties to sustain our tenants’ supported living choices β from one bedroom flats to large, detached houses – from the private rental market. That way we can find something suited to each person.
Life partners to those we support
Supported living is generally associated with better wellbeing outcomes for people β when we live in an environment that we have choices about, and that is conducive to our individual needs, we are much likely to feel happier, healthier and settled.
Often people deteriorate in inpatient units, so once they are discharged from hospital into a home of their own, even if they’ve been an inpatient for years, with the right support and an environment tailored to their individual needs, change can be surprisingly quick to manifest.
In evidence to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee, Dr Theresa Joyce said
I have a lot of concern about a discharge model that says, βTheyβre not ready for discharge.β The issue is that they will never be ready for discharge while they are in a unit that is toxic to their health.
We are delighted that our first tenant from 2007 is still living in a Zetetick house. Having come to us from one of those semi-secure hospitals where they were not treated well, they soon blossomed and started to enjoy life.
Public benefit
Zetetick Housing does not just supply bricks and mortar, we are passionate about ensuring everyone can live the kind of lives they want to, doing what makes them happy.
As well as access to housing for supported living choices, we believe that people should also have access to arts and leisure facilities to improve quality of life and promote social inclusion.
Zetetick’s Trustees have therefore designated a fund to be granted to charities that help deliver social inclusion and welfare for learning disabled adults in the locations we operate in. So far Zetetick has given grants to Possability People in Brighton, Croydon People FirstΒ and Club Soda in Croydon.
Financial stability
Zetetick is a successful charity, and one of the tasks of our Audit, Risk & Finance Committee is to ensure that the charity holds enough funds to protect our tenants and keep providing our supported living choices – to keep paying rents to landlords and to fund the organisation’s ongoing operations. The board of trustees is satisfied that Zetetick is financially resilient against identified risks.
The Future
Zetetick is so proud of what we’ve achieved in our first 15 years, providing the housing security to enable our tenants to lead the kind of lives they want. As a not for profit organisation our mission is always to provide the best homes we can to people who would not otherwise have choices about where they live, and enable them to live independently with the right support.
Looking forward, we are expanding so that more people can benefit from the supported living choices we offer. If you are renting out a property or looking for a home for a client or family member, get in touch here, via our social media channels, or give us a call.
Vision and Mission
Our Vision
To enable people to live as valued members of their community
Our Mission
To provide and maintain specialised quality homes, not just housing.
To empower choice and deliver dignity to those people, primarily with learning disabilities and autism, who need our offer of quality housing for supported living.
To align our values and activities to work with a range of partners across housing, commissioning, and care, in the fulfilment of our charitable aims.
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supported living choices
